The U.S. Federal Reserve released its long-awaited central bank digital currency (CBDC) paper white paper on Thursday that examines the potential benefits and risks associated with the nascent form of digital payments. The 40-page paper represents a key step towards creating a digital dollar, but doesn’t indicate whether the central bank should pursue such projects. Instead, it asks for public feedback on questions of privacy, financial stability and just how a digital dollar might be used. The Central bank, therefore, has asked for public comment until May 20 to participate in the CBDC research. In fact, the Fed even made it clear that it won’t proceed for a CBDC ‘without clear support from the executive branch and from Congress, ideally in the form of a specific authorizing law.’ “We look forward to engaging with the public, elected representatives and a broad range of stakeholders as we examine the positives and negatives of a central bank digital currency in the United States,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said in a statement on Tuesday: The report further notes that the dollar is currently the most widely used payment method in the world being the global reserve currency. This gives the U.S. the ability to influence “standards for the global monetary system.” “It is important, however, to consider the implications of a potential future state in which many foreign countries and currency unions may have introduced CBDCs. Some...
